Unexpected Ties
by Raqual
Summary: Draco has run from his past for too long, and it has come to face him once again. And what does Harry and Hermione has to do with it? A story of friendship and acceptance.
1. I'm a Wizard

**A/N: I own nothing.**

**I'm A Wizard**

I'm walking down a corridor of a law firm, one of the last places I want to be.

I hate places like this. It reminds me of my troubled past and youth, where I had to use the counsel of a lawyer when trying not to get sent to Azkaban. The only reason I'm here is to get my child. Other than that, this place could kiss my ass.

But that's not fair. I can't hate a building, because a building didn't stop me from seeing my son for over six weeks. A building didn't hang up the phone in my ear six weeks ago telling me not to call _my_ house. And a building damn sure didn't send me papers stating that I could not in any way have contact with my child until this court hearing. No, a building did none of that, but it represents all of it anyway. So I'm choosing to take it out on the building. If not, I'm not liable to control my actions when I see Catherine.

Seriously, I want to strangle her. I can just imagine my fingers in a tight hold around her neck, draining the life out of her second by second, painfully torturing her while having a smile on my face.

It's the least I can do since she's been making me go through the same thing for six long weeks.

Sometimes, I have to remind myself to breathe, that I'm really not dying.

Walking down this hall, though, is just making me pissed off, and I'm starting to forget about the fingers that are constantly choking me. Instead, I have to remind myself to steady my breathing to a casual pace unless I want to pop a blood vessel as I walk into a waiting room.

There sits the thorn in my ass: my wife. Another reason I hate places like these is because people like my wife thrives in them and those are the kind of people I dislike immensely.

My wife is a lawyer. In my book, there are only two types: the ones who want to make a difference, fight for the innocent and the underdogs, and send the scum of society to jail _or_ the ones who are cruel, callous bastards who don't give a damn about anything except how much money they make. My wife's a bitch so she's very wealthy.

And contrary to popular belief that doesn't mean I automatically am, though I do have plenty of money. The first thing that you should know about my wife is she's clean cut. A relationship is 50/50. That means there is mine, there is yours, then there's that small percentage that she's willing to share so it can become ours. So her wealth is hers, mine is mine, and we come together to pay bills and expenses that concerns our daughter. Yeah, I know what you're thinking: what a wonderful partnership?

But to my wife, that is the foundation of everything: a partnership. It has to be beneficial for her to commit any time towards it.

My wife is logical. It's one of the things that attracted me to her in the first place. She has a quick, sharp wit that could send you into peals of laughter or make the toughest man cry. She makes long lists stating the pros and cons of a situation, rationally figuring out what's the best decision. She's well read, well versed, and intelligent. So it makes sense that she's a little intimidating, which makes her a good attorney.

Thinking about the things that I once loved about her and which now makes me second-guess our marriage is a hard thing to do. I want a divorce, but I don't, because I do love my wife. She's a caring and lovely person once you get past the rough exterior and I was one of the privileged to see that side of her. It's just some things I can't seem to look past anymore. _Why is my life such a mess?_

I feel a tap on my shoulder, so shaken from my thoughts, I turn to look at my solicitor. I didn't want one, but my friend Blaise suggested that since my wife is a great lawyer, I should get one. He's young and seems about my age at around thirty-five. This doesn't bother me because my wife is my age and brilliant, plus I'm hoping he can keep the peace and represent my demands with charm. So if that means he has to flirt with my wife to get what I want, then go for it. I told him that before we got here. He laughed, assured me that he was happily married and that his wife might not appreciate the gesture, even if on my behalf.

"Yes," I say.

"You were gone for a moment there. I just wanted to remind you to be civil and let me do all the talking." He walks toward my wife, looking the role of polite professional, holding out his hand to shake hers, introducing himself. I can tell Catherine is impressed by his manners, so she smiles her 'I approve of you…for now' smile.

After she shakes his hand she sits back down, her gaze sharp. I know she's scoping him out for any weaknesses and I pray that she can't find any, though she has a knack for pinning a person's personality on point in ten minutes. I've seen it.

My solicitor, Ted Williams, sits down beside my wife and starts to chat, hopefully about things that don't concern me. I take the time to study my wife.

She's beautiful, no doubt about it. Her long dark brown hair is pinned up showing the long curve of her neck, a neck that I've remembered kissing passionately many times. Then I think about how I want to strangle it, so I look at her face again. Straight nose, bow-like mouth, high cheekbones, defined but soft jaw, and the most electrifying blue eyes I had ever seen. They are ice blue, and when I had first looked into them my heart froze. She has aristocratic features: clean cut lines, soft enhancements, symmetrical face. Her body is tall, proud, and graceful. She's obviously very well bred.

But when she turns to look at me, I try not to think about how beautiful she is, or how she's a bitch, or how much I still love her. In fact, I try to think of nothing, keeping my face blank, not cold, but simply unexpressive.

"Draco."

"Catherine."

She stands, but not before excusing herself properly from Ted first, then walks to me. Her head is held high, shoulders squared yet relax, and she walks with confidence. If I wasn't so mad at her right now, I would probably kiss her.

"How are you?"

How does she think I'm doing? I feel like shit, though I made sure that I don't certainly seem it, but that doesn't matter, because I'm sure she knows anyway. She knows everything. But since she wants a response, I will give it to her, so I reply, "As well as can be expected."

She smirks, one that can rival mine, a smirk befitting a Malfoy and I'm suddenly filled with pride for some unexplainable reason.

"That's nice." She pauses, her eyes narrowing. She's trying to read me but I won't let her. So I try to move the topic from me.

"You must excuse me Catherine for being so rude, but I must ask can we skip all the pleasantries and proceed to the business with which we both came to do?" I smirk, one eyebrow raised, my expression haughty. My condescension is down to a science.

She immediately does her half-smile, the one that screams she's amused in a sadistic sort of way. "Of course, Draco, whatever you like."

Before I can retort, a receptionist with blonde hair walks out.

"Ms. Granger is ready to see you all now."

She turns on her heel and walks in behind the receptionist. I feel my face morph into in a scowl and I can feel myself ready to scream. She knows I hate people who laugh at me or find me amusing when I'm in a disagreeable mood. She knows I hate that half-smile and still she uses it.

"What was that about?" Ted asks, walking up beside me.

"Nothing. She just wants to piss me off so I can lose my temper. But I'm not going to give her the satisfaction." I walk in behind them both, leaving Ted in my wake.

I see Catherine sitting down on one side of a table, talking to a woman with brown, curly hair but the woman's back is turned, so I can't see her face. Ted has followed me in, so we take the seats on the opposite side of the table.

The woman turns around and instantly I know I'm going to lose my temper because for Catherine to pick anyone to be her solicitor, it had to have been Granger.

But Granger seems not to recognize me or ignore who I am, and I'm willing to bet it's the latter. Surely, since my wife is her client, she would obviously recognize the name Malfoy, muggle world or not.

She turns to face us, and smiles reaching her hand out towards Ted.

"Hi, I'm Hermione Granger and will be representing Mrs. Malfoy in these proceedings."

Ted smiles and shakes her hand because he's a gentleman and doesn't know that I hate the air Granger breathes. "Ted Williams. I'll be representing Mr. Malfoy."

"Nice to meet you," she's still smiling even when she turns to face me, her hand outstretch. "And you as well Mr. Malfoy."

I look at her hand wondering if I should shake until I feel everyone gaze on me, Catherine's and Ted's confused, Granger's knowing. I reluctantly shake her hand, trying not to say anything scathing.

"Granger."

Catherine raises an eyebrow at me. She hates when I'm short with anyone.

"There's no need to be rude Draco. Ms. Granger has done nothing to you."

I glare at her calling me out on my behavior. _I hate when she scolds me like a petulant child. I can be mean to whoever I want. I'm pissed, remember? This is your fault that we're here in the first place. And why would you pick Granger to be your solicitor?_ I must have been ranting in my head longer than I thought I was because they were already having a conversation.

"Don't worry about it Mrs. Malfoy. It's not the first time Malfoy has been rude to me. I'm quite accustomed to it, though I must say it's been a while since I've been in his presence to have him glare at me." She smiles, pulling out a folder, paper and pens.

Catherine is surprised, so surprised she actually shows it. It almost makes me want to laugh.

"You know my husband?"

"Yes, though I must say he's probably not very pleased that he does know me."

Catherine furrows her brow in wonderment and I want Granger to shut up so badly, I clench my fists under the table hoping that we can forget about stupid Granger and everything else. I'm sure that anything out of this won't be good but it's rude to tell someone to shut up and get on with business.

Ted looks at me and can tell I'm annoyed but he's just as curious as Catherine so asks Granger, "Where do you know him from?"

I pale and hope she doesn't answer the question and want to start instead. But then I get the image of a bushy haired beaver jumping up and down in a chair, hand raised high to answer a teacher's question and know I'm doomed.

"Hogwarts."

And I almost pass out that she can be so nonchalant about this. Does she know that she just told my wife a part about me that she has no clue of? Of course not, because she's ruddy Granger and she doesn't think.

Catherine looks inquiringly at me. I know she's confused but I still say nothing. Maybe if I ignore everything, it will go away.

"What's Hogwarts?"

Granger's head immediately pops up from the paper she's reading and her face is confused.

"You don't know about Hogwarts?" she asks my wife.

"No, I've never heard of it before. I would've remembered a name like that, I'm sure."

Granger looks at me questioningly, but all I do is glare because I'm pissed and I would rather not go into detail about my secret past with my wife in front of our lawyers at a separation hearing.

"Why doesn't she know about Hogwarts, Malfoy? Does she know about anything?"

I look at Catherine, then Ted, who is just as lost as Catherine in this conversation but is wisely not saying anything. But Granger is still Granger so of course, she is waiting for an answer.

"Well?"

I look at Catherine, who eyes are now guarded, but curious, and if I'm digging a little deeper behind the confusion, a little hurt.

"Well?" Granger presses again.

"No." I say.

She gasps, confused but angry. I know why she's angry. She thinks I lied to my wife. And as always, she's right.

Granger is the type of lawyer that my wife isn't. She fights for the underdogs and the innocent. She wants to make a difference in the world. And she loves to send the scum of society to jail. I am, naturally, the scum. But since I've already got acquitted of my crimes almost twenty years ago, she has to see to justice in her own way.

"It says here in your file that you've been married for over ten years and have a nine year old son."

"That's correct," my wife states waiting for Hermione to elaborate on why it's so important to bring it up.

Instead Granger turns to me glaring. "You have a child together and you never told her? Does she even know this could affect him?"

This makes Catherine worry, because even though she's almost always cold and mostly a bitch to people she doesn't like, she loves our son more than anything.

"What does this have to do with Scorpius?" Catherine asks her face full of worry.

Granger glares at me, daring me to answer the question. Ted looks interested yet slightly uncomfortable. Personally, I don't even know why he's here because he's certainly not stopping these women from interrogating me. But the face that gets me the most is Catherine's, because she's needlessly worried that something is horribly wrong Scorpius, and I can't let her think that.

"Nothing. What Granger can't eloquently put in words is that we're both…special."

I know that's not really eloquent, but how can you really tell two muggles that magic is real and then tell one of them that her husband is magical and so is her only child, who lately has been using his magic to summon things to him including sweets.

"Special? How? You mean some kind of mental illness?" she asks.

Granger is still glaring and I glare right back.

"No, not like that."

"Then like what? Tell me. It's not like you to beat around the bush."

I hesitate. I don't want her to know. I wish I don't have to deal with it. I haven't used magic in years, so what's the point? Doesn't that mean that I've technically not a wizard anymore by default?

When Catherine can tell I'm not going to answer the question, she turns to Hermione for the answer. Granger is still glaring at me, but I can tell she is also slightly uncomfortable with being the one that Catherine is looking to for answers. I just tell myself it's payback for being a know-it-all and mentioning Hogwarts.

"What is it you both are not telling me? What?"

Granger looks at me then turns to my wife.

"We're magical. Hogwarts is a school to learn magic and that's where Malfoy and I met."

Catherine and Ted both simultaneously looked at her if she was crazy.

"This is a joke. And it's extremely not funny." Catherine says. She looks at me imploringly and as much as I hate Granger, she just did my dirty work so I have to help her out.

"I'm sorry to say it's not a joke. I'm a wizard."


	2. Magic is Real

**Magic is Real**

The silence in the room is overwhelming. My ears are ringing from it. So I pretend that the news I've just shared isn't a major blow to everything they have been taught to believe as muggles. I'm not a Malfoy for nothing, though I haven't shown that part of myself for so long that sometimes I doubt it's even there. But like my father once told me, old habits die hard.

"_I'm not saying that I like Muggles and Mudbloods now, Draco. Not at all. I've lived hating them my whole life, so why change? I just don't feel like following a Dark Lord, who by even our definition, is below us. We will just do much better by ignoring their existence altogether. We're still pureblood elite, and that's all that matters."_

Suffice it to say, my parents, and my father especially, were shocked when they found out I had fell in love with a Muggle. For some time after that, they refused to speak with me. It wasn't until my mother, miserable with not talking to her only child, decided to bite the bullet and invited Catherine and me to dinner. I almost laughed at the letter when it had arrived by owl post at my London flat, about two months after my falling out with them.

_My Darling Draco,_

_I must say before anything else, that I'm still not pleased with your chosen love interest and potential wife but I will not let our relationship falter over this occurrence. If we can survive the Dark Lord, we can survive anything._

_Though I'm sure your father disagrees with my decision, I will like to invite you and your fiancée to Malfoy Manor so we can officially meet her and decide for ourselves if she's worthy to be the next Lady Malfoy. Your father and I have raised you to socialize among the best, and I'm sure that even though non-magical, she is hopefully not a commoner either._

_Please send back your response with Lady, as I expect an affirmative answer whether you like it or not. Tell us what will be the most convenient day for you both to attend, and your father and I will be available on whatever day you choose._

_Love as Always,_

_Mother_

The day I went to Malfoy manor with Catherine for the first time, is a day I'll always remember. After driving for over an hour and a half from London to the Manor, situated on the outskirts of Worthing, West Sussex, when I pulled up in front of it, Catherine immediately turned to me, her eyes wide and disbelieving. Having seen her show emotions like surprise only so much, like the time I proposed to her, I laughed out loud from her expression.

"_You live here?" she asked, her expression changing from disbelief to incredulity slowly._

"_No, I live in London. You've been to my flat hundreds of times," I said, smiling warmly at her._

She smiled at my joke; one of the genuine ones that reached her eyes, making them crinkle at the corners, their color changing from ice blue to a warm ocean breeze.

"_You're silly," she said, waiting for me to get out the car to open the door for her._

_Offering my hand to help her out the car, I said, "And you love it."_

_Raising her eyebrow in the way she had been unconsciously copying my haughtier expressions lately, she let go of my hand, though she was still smiling._

"_I guess I do." With that she took off down the gravel path, but not before I grabbed her hand in mine, interlacing our fingers._

Since I had lived there all my life, I was used to the lavish gardens and expansive grounds, but Catherine seemed to be in awe, though she hid it very well by asking questions about the history of the manor instead of gaping at it like some fish. But it seemed there was one thing she couldn't help but gape at.

"_Albino peacocks?" she looked at me as if I were crazy._

"_Wait until you meet Father before you judge." I smiled._

Reaching the grand doors, I used the knocker shaped in the Malfoy crest: a snake with emerald eyes coiled around a red rose. Catherine looked at this but said nothing. We just stood there in complete silence waiting.

_My mother answered the door. She looked beautiful with her blonde hair pulled up, showing the aristocratic features she inherited as a Black. She wore a dress of navy blue material, flowing and elegant. When she saw us, she immediately went into hostess mode with a touch of indulgent mother._

"_Draco, my darling, look at you! You look so well, sweetheart," she said, pulling me into an embrace that I happily returned with equal fervor._

It's funny that almost everyone thinks that my family is cold and unfeeling, which is not the case at all. We have class and we're private people. I probably got as many hugs, kisses, and lectures from my mother as Weaselby if not more, since I am an only child and my parents could focus all their attention on me. The point is that my parents were actually in love when they married, and had me, and loved me even more. Just because we don't show it when in public doesn't mean we're unfeeling, and I could never understand how people never got that.

Being the only child I got used to being doted on, so I had missed my mother's hugs and attention, even if you wouldn't catch me admitting it to anyone else, though my mother knew it. I had missed my parents for the last two months.

"_Mother, you look stunning as usual," I said letting her kiss both my cheeks._

"_You flatter. I have raised you well," she beamed and turned to look at Catherine._

I could see the look of approval when my mother looked at her. Catherine's hair was down, but wavy and set in a way to not hide her face. She wore no makeup, showing she was a natural beauty and the light blue sundress she wore with sandals made her look wholesome. But it was the details that my mother were looking at that she was approving. The way she held herself, her expression of slight interest, but self-confidence and the fact that though she held my hand, she didn't hang onto me, but stood as her own person.

"_Mother, this is Catherine. Catherine this is my mother."_

_Catherine walked toward my mother, hand outstretched, body poised. _

"_It's nice to meet you Lady Malfoy."_

My mother took her hand without hesitation, smiling her happiness that Catherine had impeccable manners. My mother was a stickler for them though she was always upset that father and I never upheld them to those we thought below us.

"_Please, call me Narcissa," she smiled as she ended her handshake, and Catherine and I held hands again. "Follow me to the parlor so you can meet Lucius."_

In my head, I was writhing with laughter at the fact that a house elf had not answered the door and that my parents were trying their best to appear as Muggles as I had requested in my response that I had sent to Mother earlier in the week. As I passed the portraits of my ancestors, they stood still in poses of stateliness. I saw the portrait of Grandfather Malfoy sitting in his favorite armchair that was currently in my father's study, his face frozen in a smirk. I winked my eye in his direction. He smiled, winked back, and went back to looking haughty.

Finally arriving to the guest parlor on the south wing, my mother walked in first followed by Catherine and me. I saw my father standing by the empty fireplace, elbow resting upon it, brandy in hand. His hand was in his other pocket, long blonde hair swept back from his face, and he was draped in black. He looked the part of intimidating father-in-law, and I know that this was part of their plan: Mother was good cop and Father was definitely bad.

_We walked further into the room, my father setting down his brandy and coming to meet us halfway._

"_Draco, how good to see you son," my father smirked shaking my hand, but his attention was focused on Catherine. "And who may I ask is this."_

"_This is Catherine."_

"_It's nice to meet you Lord Malfoy," Catherine said holding out her hand._

_My father gave a charming smile and took her hand, lightly kissing it. "Believe me the pleasure is all mine."_

I looked at mother and fought not to laugh. Her face was one of disapproval with just a hint of jealousy. It was funny to still think of my parents being flirtatious and jealous of each other, though it warmed my heart to think they still cared enough to be. My father has always treated my girlfriends like this, trying to sort out weakness and see if they were into me, the Malfoy name, the Malfoy riches, or the Malfoy good looks. As always, Catherine passed with flying colors.

"_How charming you are Lord Malfoy. If I didn't know better, I would say you were flirting with me, though I wouldn't want to presume too much on your part."_

"_Would you now?" my father said. He raised his eyebrow._

"_I would. And I must say while very flattering I'm sure that our other halves don't appreciate the gesture," she raised her eyebrow as well._

My mother looked on the verge of laughter though she had very good control. I on the other hand opted to laugh. It was funny seeing my father be rebuffed, since most women became putty in his hands when he decided to be charming. It was one of the reasons he fell in love with my mother. She had not fell for his charms and made him work very hard for her affections.

"_And, pray tell, what is so funny son?" he asked, expression annoyed._

"_Nothing, Father…except the fact that my fiancée gave you the figurative boot," I said smiling._

"_Yes…I must admit I'm not used to getting it, though I find it refreshing that she is not easily swayed. A very good pick," my father smiled warmly at both of us. I smiled back. My mother smiling, came to link an arm with my father._

"_Well," Mother said, making Father start the trek with her toward the hallway, "Let's have dinner and talk more with Catherine, hmm?"_

_My father smiled at my mother's subtle amusement and taking her hand asked, "Of course dear. But may I ask: are you still swayed by my charms?" he kissed her hand._

_My mother's smile became mischievous. "Maybe."_

"_That's all I ask."_

Eleven years later, things have certainly taken a turn.

"So you're a wizard? And you can do magic?" Catherine asks her face frozen.

"Yes."

"So where are your broomsticks, and warts, and pointy hats? Oh! We can't forget your witch's brew. Double, double, toil and trouble, and all that other rubbish," she says. I sigh because I know she's in real bitch mode now.

"Catherine, it's not like that. Those are stereotypes though we do brew and have broomst—"

"How dare you, Draco! How dare you make up this foolishness!" She's on her feet now, her face cold and intense. She's incensed and all I can do is look at her. "And at our separation hearing with my lawyer! I looked up all of them and she was the best and now I find out that you both are nutters!"

And again before I can get in a word, Granger jumps up to grab my wife's arms from her wild gesturing. Her voice is pleading.

"Mrs. Malfoy, it's true. I would never lie about something like this. I know it seems unbelievable—"

"Unbelievable, Ms. Granger? It's absolutely preposterous. It's insane!"

"I know how you feel. My parents are muggles and we hardly believed it when I got my letter telling me magic was real but—"

"Magic is not real. It's not. How can you both sit here and spout this utter non—"

"Catherine. Sit down."

My head hurts from the yelling, the confession, the fact that Granger's here and I have to explain my life after the war with her here. This is my private life and to have one of my childhood nemesis in on it is really grating on my nerves. So if my voice comes out a little cold and commanding, it's all their faults and definitely not mine.

"Don't take that tone with me Draco. How dare—"

I'm on my feet in an instant.

"Catherine! Please shut up and sit down! Now! You too Granger."

Catherine face freezes but sits down anyway. She is not use to me yelling at her at all, only when I'm very heated. Most of the time when we're angry with each other she insults me while I'm just quiet and condescending.

"You know very well you can't tell me what to do, Malfoy." Granger face has gone pink, the only thing that shows she's pissed at me for yelling at them under her calm façade.

I rub my temples. This headache is a killer. "Granger, _please_. Just sit down."

She sits down primly and I have a sigh of relief. But Catherine is not going to let me get a break anytime soon.

"Draco, I know that our marriage hasn't been perfect in the last few years but to concoct this hogwash of a story is just ludicrous. Magic? Do you really think I would believe this—"

"Silencio."

I look up completely shocked that Granger has just used magic on Muggles. Still, when seeing her expression of guilt, I can tell this is not a usual occurrence.

My wife however, is shocked. She opens her mouth and closes it, trying to speak but nothing will come out. Ted looks at her curiously and is probably about to ask her what was wrong until he realizes he cannot talk either. His eyes widen in fear and I look at Granger, hoping she is interpreting my question.

"Sorry, it's just she was not going to take what we said at face value, and I must admit that as much as it would have pleased me a little to see you get chewed out, we have a dilemma."

She's right. This deals with the Statute of Secrecy and if not handle well, could cause the Ministry to get involved, which would get messy.

"You're right. So what do you suggest we do? We could obliviate them and pretend this never happened."

Granger rolls her eyes and gives me this look. I wonder if she knows that she pisses me off when she gives me her 'I'm smarter than you' look, just like when Catherine gives me that damned half smile.

"First of all, we aren't supposed to obliviate them because that is strictly for the Obliviate team at the Ministry and I would never get caught doing that."

I wonder if I'm reading more into what she's saying because she never said she wouldn't obliviate them, just that she didn't want to get caught. My brain goes into overdrive because Gryffindor goody two-shoes Granger I can deal with, but a Slytherin talking one is putting me out of my norm. I wonder if I should be wary and if I was wrong about what type of lawyer she really is.

"Then what do you suggest?"

"Well, your wife should know that we're magical because it affects your son, but we can't run the possibility that your lawyer will tell someone what happened, which could get us into trouble."

I don't believe this.

"Hey, you're the one with a wand," pointing at the incriminating piece of wood in her hand while she glares at me. "I didn't do anything."

"You're an accessory to the crime."

"How do you figure that?"

She gives another look.

"I'm a lawyer which means I can be very persuasive. If I go down, believe that you're going down too. But that shouldn't matter because I have the perfect solution."

"And what's that?"

I look at Catherine and Ted, both shaking like a leaf. I can see where they're coming from. A strange person just made them be quiet not of their own volition with a stick and it sounded like Granger and I were about to knock them off. _Knock them off? I really got to stop watching those American gangster movies._

"Obliviate," she says, pointing her wand at Ted.

His eyes take on that glazed over look common to memory charms. Before I can start ranting about her actually using a memory charm on a Muggle—_I really didn't think you had the balls Granger_—she aims another spell at him.

"Confundus."

Ted now looks doubly confused and I stare at Granger speechless. She, however, doesn't look at me.

"Mr. Williams, you have just had a meeting with me and Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. They have decided to stall the separation for the time being and Mr. Malfoy is no longer in need of your legal services on his behalf. You will now go check with your secretary to see what your next appointment for the day is," she says in a commanding tone.

Then changing to her normal voice she puts her hand out to shake his stating that it was a pleasure to make his acquaintance.

He smiles, still looking confused, giving her the same sentiment and walks out the door. I now begin my rant.

She however ignores me and I become quiet after a minute or two. She just solved one of my problems and I can't say I'm really mad that she did it. Really, it's just the fact that she _did_ do it that I can't get my mind to wrap around. I would never in a million years admit it, but Granger surprised me…and it was kind of turning me on.

"Mrs. Malfoy," Granger turns to my wife. "I'm about to take my hex off you but you have got to promise not to scream. We promise not to harm you, I would never harm you, but if you're the type of person I think you are, you would not have believed us if I never shown you what we say is the truth. Do you promise to hold your composure?"

My wife is still shaking. She just seen Granger make a man forget what we did to him and sent him on his merry way. Power like that could scare anyone.

I feel sorry that I dragged her in this and I reach my hand across the table to hold her hand. She flinches away from me but I still hold on.

"Catherine, I love you. I would never let anyone hurt you I promise," I bear into her eyes hoping to convey my sincerity and she meekly nods her head. I nod to Granger and she silently releases the hex.

Catherine is still silent and I ask if she's alright. _As if?_

"Magic. You have it?" Her face is blank.

"Yes I do."

"So this thing about Hogwarts, it's true?" Her eyes show her fear.

"Yes it is. Granger and I went to Hogwarts to learn magic when we were eleven. That's the age when they start to teach you magic in the wizarding world. We met as first years," I say with a perfectly straight face.

She looks between Granger and me, now getting used to the fact that we were magical. "So you were friends?"

I look at Granger wondering how much I should tell her. How can I tell my wife that not only were Granger and I far from friends, we had fought on the opposite side of a war. Plus the side I took was into the eradication of all muggles and muggleborns.

"No. Malfoy was a Slytherin and I was a Gryffindor, so we had house rivalries. Plus, I'm Muggleborn and he's a Pureblood, so we definitely didn't like each other," Granger states as if it's fact. Which it is. Or was.

"What's that? What's a Muggleborn and a Pureblood?"

I give a mental sigh of relief. Catherine was letting her inquisitive side guide her instead of being fearful after she realized that we wouldn't harm her. Granger looks at me to answer the question.

"A pureblood is someone whose family is magical and has magical ancestors through most of their history. For instance, the Malfoys can trace witches and wizards in our family back through centuries."

"And a Muggleborn is someone with non-magical parents. It's like magic just popped into us randomly for no reason at all. I'm a Muggleborn so both my parents are Muggles."

I nod at Granger's description and look at Catherine. She still looks confused.

"But why would you hate each other because you're Muggleborn and he's pureblood. You're still magical right?"

My heart freezes. My wife, a Muggle who has known about my magical capabilities for only ten minutes has brought up the question that was the reason of why we had fought two wizarding wars that combine lasted for almost three decades. And I was on the losing side.

Granger looks at me uncomfortable. She understands my dilemma. My wife represents all of what I as a pureblood despised and once hated. I was a Death Eater; I was against Dumbledore and precious Potter. I tried to actually kill one of them.

My father had never told me that my taunts, jeers, and bullying would reach up to me. I never worried about it because I had always known that in the wizarding I was the best. I had money, influence, and power. Why should I care how the inferior felt when I knew I was the only who mattered and they didn't? But looking at Granger and my wife and thinking about how I had treated people, especially Granger and Potter, I felt regret once again for my petty, childish actions.

I look at Granger to see if she would rat me out. To see if she will tell my wife about how I'm such a despicable person, that I was evil. But she doesn't. She looks back at me, her chocolate brown eyes intense and swimming with pity and I know that she's saying she won't tell if I don't want her to. And I feel gratitude to Hermione Granger. And I almost think about not telling my wife how I'm a hypocrite and that I've been trying to run away from my life for the last seventeen years, trying to be so opposite of who I was that I lied to everyone, including myself. I almost don't tell her.

I look at Catherine, for once deciding to be honest and truthful for the first time in the thirty-five years that I've been in this world.

"What's wrong Draco?" Catherine asks.

"As a pureblood, most of us think we're better than half-bloods—people who families have both wizards and muggles—muggleborns, and muggles. We thought they were filthy and not worth living…" I sigh, my heart hurting at how I once thought, at how I once acted, at how I'm probably hurting my wife more now than I ever did during our marriage. "There was a wizard named…Lord Voldemort. He wanted to get rid of all muggles and muggleborns. He thought only pureblood and some half-bloods were worth saving. And he wanted to rule as the dictator of the new society."

I look at Catherine's face and it shows nothing but horror, her eyes hurt, disbelieving.

"So you believe that too? You wanted to _kill_ people?"

"Yes. No! What I mean is…I _used_ to believe what he said," I know what I'm saying is hard but I really want her to know that that wasn't how I felt now. "The Dark Lord had servants called Death Eaters. I became one when I was sixteen. I had a mission to assassinate my then current headmaster. At the end of sixth year I led a team of Death Eaters into the school where one of my teachers proceeded to kill him."

Catherine eyes are oddly glassy and I realize that she's on the verge of tears. This is weird, because Catherine never cries, ever.

And oddly, my eyes feel wet because I hadn't talked about Dumbledore and Snape and being a Death Eater in years. When my parents ever mention it, I nod and change the subject. But it had been a while since I had to be honest and tell people how I was such a horrible person when I was younger.

"You tried to kill your headmaster? You—you led in a team of Death Eaters into a school full of children?" She's sniffling and I want to cry so much too but I can't because I'm the one that's making her hurt so much.

"So Lucius and Narcissa felt this way too? Is that why they stopped talking to you that time when you had first proposed? Because I'm a Muggle?" She wants to know everything now.

"My father…he was in the Dark Lord's inner circle and in high standing until a few years before the war ended. So he doesn't really like muggles, though he does adore you. And mother really is just more about high society than blood. She would probably invite Granger to tea since she's so smart and made a good name for herself."

She shakes her head, so hard it's like she's trying to get her brain out.

Then suddenly Catherine is crying into a handkerchief, and I wonder where she got it. I turn to face Granger and she's looking at me with tears in her eyes though she's refusing to let them fall. I see pain and hurt. I look away.

I give her a little time until Catherine has gained her bearings a little bit. She's looking at me, eyes red and puffy.

"So what else?" she asks, her voice hoarse and cracking.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"What else did you do at school and as a Death Eater? Did you kill people? Did you torture them? What happened to the man I married? Was he a lie?" She's mad now and I understand why.

"Catherine…I don't know what to say. I love you," I run my hand through my hair. "And I admit…that person I was when I was younger…he wasn't a good person. But I changed. And I don't feel like that anymore. I really don't."

She shakes her head and my gut tightens because instead of a separation, she just might want to divorce me.

Granger takes Catherine's hand, looks at me for a moment, and then says something I never thought I'd hear out her mouth.

"It's not his fault."

Catherine looks at her, eyes incredulous. I am too.

"What do you mean? He joined a group that wanted to kill people. People like you and me."

Granger bites her lip then continues on.

"I know that. But it was scary times. His father was in Azkaban, the wizard prison. Voldemort was strong again. His—his aunt was out of prison," she takes a deep breath. I know it's probably hard talking about this, especially my aunt and my respect for Granger rises. "And she was his biggest follower and literally insane. Voldemort threatened to kill his mother. I can see why he did it. And though it wasn't right…it was in a wa…noble. And I can't totally be mad at him because he grew up believing what his parents told him," she's crying now, Catherine's crying now, and I think I'm crying but I'm not sure. "I just wish he would have learned earlier it was wrong. It might have saved a lot of heartache."

Catherine nods her head. She looks at Granger and nods in understanding. "So he hated you and everything you stood for. Did it hurt?"

Granger nods. "It always hurts being called a Mudblood. Something filthy. Something unworthy. You just learn to deal with it after a while," she looks at me. "And after everything, you learn it's not true, it was never true and you just can't prove yourself to those who are not willing to see. You just can't."

I bow my head. I rather not see those blue or brown eyes anytime soon.

"So why me?" Catherine asks.

I know what she's asking and since she already despises me I might as well be truthful.

"You were beautiful and intelligent. You had made something of yourself. You were witty, clever, confident. You were everything I had ever wanted in a woman and yet you weren't magical. And in that moment I realized that none of it mattered," I shake my head as I remembered the epiphany I had felt when I realized I was in love with Catherine.

"Really?"

"Yes. I love you and I can't change that. And I was a horrible person and I can't change that either. But I could change how I was from then on. So when I met you and realized you were the one that was the same day I gave up magic and I haven't used it since."

Catherine nods her head. This is surreal. She's been more emotional with me today than this past year. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing.

"So Scorpius…is he magical too?"

"Yeah, he is. And I'm pretty sure he's been stealing cookies behind your back," I smile.

She smiles too and my gut unclenches a little but not enough.

She's quiet for a while, looking back and forth between Granger and me then she says the last thing I expect her to say.

"I want to believe you, I really do. And I do think you love me. But I need proof."

I'm stunned. "Proof? Proof of what?"

"That you've changed. I want to believe you've changed for the better but I need to know it's not a fluke, that you just only overlooked me because you fell in love."

"But how will I be able to do that?"

"Become friends with the people you used to hate the most. When you do that, I can think about getting back together, but you got to let me wrap my mind around this first."

My mind shuts down. Become friends with people I hate the most. That's the Golden Trio.

"I don't think I can do that," I say.

"Well why not?" she looks a little angry.

"Because I hate them…well not hate. More like dislike. But I'm pretty sure they still hate me. I was horrible to them."

Granger looks at me and says, "Well I don't know about Ron, but I can tell you that Harry and I don't hate you. We understood your motives, if not everything," She smiles then sighs. "But Ron…he's still bitter. Personally, I think you represent everything on the opposite spectrum as a pureblood wizard. You're rich, handsome, and influential. And he had five brothers to compete with, no standing as a Weasley, and he was poor. So he's not going to be as forgiving."

I knew Granger was right. Weasel and I could never be friends. It just wasn't possible. Potter I treated rotten because he was famous and he rejected me when I asked to be his friend. That had stung because I never had not been given what I wanted so I wasn't used to people telling me no. Granger I didn't like at first because she was a Muggleborn but later I resented the fact that coming from a non-magical background she had beaten me in all our exams. I was never used to not being on top.

But Weasel just grated on my nerves. He was jealous of me and even his own friends. If I was mean, I was mean to people I didn't like or think worthy of my company. He was just a bumbling idiot, ignorant of people feelings, crude, and a prat. I would never try to be friends with him ever.

"Do you really think this Ron person won't be his friend?" Catherine asks.

Granger shakes her head.

"Well I want you, Harry, and Draco to become friends. If he can become the best of friends with you, I'll know he's not lying."

"What's the purpose? What will it prove being friends with them?" I ask.

"That you can change for the better and that you love me. Be the best friends possible, show me what good magic can do, show them how good a person you are, and prove to yourself that you are that person."

"And this separation? It's over with. I can see Scorpius again?"

She smiles at me, crinkles at the corners. "You can see Scorpius after you first meet up with Harry and Hermione, correct?" She looks at Granger for a brief pause to make sure she said her first name right. When Granger nods in the affirmative, she faces me again. "That sounds good?"

I want to see my son so I nod. Catherine squeezes me on the shoulder, stating that she's late for an appointment with a client and that she'll talk to me soon.

Feeling awkward alone with Granger now, I make my excuses to leave, to which she nods. I stand holding my hand out to her. She immediately stands, grasping my hand. I hesitate for a quick second wondering where my sense has gone before I utter the words that would change my whole life, in ways I'd never predict.

"Thanks. For you know…"

She nods. "Yeah, I know. You're welcome."

I rock from side to side. "Well I guess I'll be seeing you around Granger."

"Hermione."

My brow furrows. She smiles.

"My name is Hermione, and if we're going to be friends now, you should probably call me that."

"Okay, Her—Hermione." Her name feels foreign on my tongue.

"I'll see you later then Malfoy."

I nod, let go of her hand and walk toward the door. I pause in the doorway, looking back at her. She's already looking at some document in front of her.

"Draco."

She looks up confused and I smile.

"Draco. That's what my friends call me."

And I leave her office.


	3. Twenty Four Years in the Making

**Twenty Four Years in the Making**

I'm nervous. The last time I was this nervous was when I had proposed to Catherine and she didn't immediately say yes.

"_I need time to think about this Draco. Marriage is a huge step."_

All I could do was stare, there in the middle of some fancy restaurant that was way too expensive, on my knee while my girlfriend tried to rationalize if marrying me was detrimental to her career or not.

"_I just don't want to get married too soon. A promotion is coming up and I really want it, you know? Where would I have the time to plan a wedding and work double at the office?"_

After I got up, put the ring in my pocket feeling very dejected, I walked out the restaurant leaving a hundred pounds on the table.

"_For dinner and a cab."_

It was raining. I laughed hollowly. The heavens really did know my mood. I was ready and willing to give everything up, all familiarity, if only she said yes. I felt stupid. And I wanted to kick a wall or break a bottle or punch someone in the face. To blame something or someone about why the girl I loved so much didn't seem to love me at all. Then I was grabbed from behind and made to turn around.

"_What the h—"_

Lips on lips: soft and strong and passionate. I didn't feel on fire, I felt like I was fire itself, my being a flickering, smoldering essence. I don't know how long it lasted until teeth gently nipped my bottom lip and I stared into the blue eyes of my girlfriend. They had the warm ocean look.

"_I thought about it," she said, her breath coming in gulps, chest heaving, her hair plastered to her face, clothes soaked. It looked like she had run. Or maybe she was as breathless as me after sharing that mind blowing kiss. "And I came to the decision. Who gives a damn about a promotion? It wouldn't matter if you weren't there to celebrate it with me. I'm sorry it took you walking out on me to realize just how much I love you. But I do. I really do."_

And I became flame once again.

But this is a different kind of nervousness. The kind where it feels like my life is on the line, kind of like the night when Dumbledore was killed.

I try not to think about that. It will be enough talk about the past to go around but for now I need release and that's what I'm aiming for. So I sip my tea and wait.

The bell to the coffee shop dings and I look up to see a man and woman enter: Potter and Granger are here.

Not realizing I'm doing it until I've already done it, I wave them over.

"Potter, Granger, over here."

They turn in unison, see me then head over. I watch as Potter pulls out the chair for Granger, she thanking him, before sitting down himself. It's like they're a couple. I feel like the odd man out already.

"Glad you could make it. Would you like something to drink?"

Granger smiles and asks for tea. Potter would like coffee, black.

I give the passing waitress their orders and ask for a refill for me. I wait until she comes back to give us our drinks before I try to start. After everyone takes a few sips of their cups a silence descends upon us.

I clear my throat.

"Well…as you probably heard from Granger my wife thinks it would be good for me to let bygones be bygones and become friends with you both." I look at Granger to see how I'm doing. She's still smiling.

"Yes I had in fact heard some of what happen at your separation meeting Malfoy. And I must say I'm a little amused." Potter chuckles a bit and takes another sip of his coffee, his gaze sharp on me.

I don't know if I'm right, but I think this is my first test to see if I've changed. I know for a fact that the old Draco would have insulted Potter's family or friends for Potter admitting anything about my misery being funny. Hell, back in the day I probably just would have been mean just because he was within calling distance of me. So I decide to take the punches head on with my own since of humor.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure you would laugh. It's not every day where I have to tell my Muggle wife magic is real and I'm a wizard," I smile.

He smiles too and nods his head.

"But really Malfoy, I am sorry you had to go through that. Especially telling your wife about your past and how you were when we were kids. It's not the best light to shine on you." I think this is his truce and I'm willing to take it.

"No it's not. But it needed to be done. And like I told her last week, I am sorry for a lot of the things I've done. So I wanted to tell you that I apologize for everything I ever did to you, both of you. It was mean and uncalled for," I wonder if I should go on but decide to take the plunge. "And really, it was only because I was jealous of you."

Granger and Potter look at each other stunned before turning their looks toward me. I chuckle and smile.

"Don't look like that. It's not very flattering."

They shake their heads and Granger asks, "Why were you jealous of Harry and me? I don't get it."

"Because Potter was famous and people liked him. Though I know now that I would never had wanted to do what you did defeating the Dark Lord, but at eleven, I was jealous. So I tried to make you miserable after you didn't want to be my friend."

Potter nods. "You know Malfoy I probably would have been your friend if things were different. But the fact that I had heard so many things about Slytherin that said they were dark evil wizards made me wary. Then after you were mean to Hagrid and Ron, I just took it as the truth."

I nod because he's right. The wizarding world is based on prejudice and really it's only few who are so open-minded about anything, usually Muggleborn and half-blood wizards. It didn't surprise me that he heard bad things about Slytherin since the first people he met were Gryffindors, plus Voldemort would give any house a bad name if he came from it. He just so happened to come from the house of the cunning and ambitious, which looking back, seems to still fit him regardless. He was a megalomaniac sure and I'm definitely glad he's dead, but if nothing, he was brilliant and persuasive, a true Slytherin.

I could also fault myself. If I knew my cunning capabilities, I would have been nice to Harry and got him to see the positive aspects of Slytherin, so even if he wasn't in my house, we probably still would have been cordial. Looking back, I see how someone could hate me. I was spoiled, arrogant, and relied on my father's wealth and the Malfoy name to get me whatever I wanted. I was full of my self-importance and my father's ideals. And at eleven I had no sense of a filter for my mouth.

"Well I am sorry for saying that stuff about Hagrid. It's kind of why I picked on him so much because you were friends with him and not me. And you know I really don't care about the blood purity rubbish anymore. That was when I was more a mini-Lucius than anything."

He smirks. "And Ron?"

I grimace. "Well I really didn't like Weasley. And you can't change my mind about it. He's vulgar, insensitive, and jealous. And he doesn't like me anyway, so I could care less."

Thinking Potter's about to give me a good tongue lashing about his friend before storming out I'm surprised when all he do is nod.

"I can see that," is all he says.

I guess the wonderment is on my face because both he and Granger burst out laughing.

"I have to say I never seen a look like that on Malfoy's face before," Potter says. Granger hits him and tells him to shush.

"I'm sorry Draco about that. But it is true. I just never seen you so surprised before."

I remember our conversation where we gave each other permission to say first names and I feel bad that I've been calling her Granger. I need to try harder.

"No problem, Hermione."

She beams, Potter looks bemused and I just smile.

"Well if we're using first names then I'm Harry," Potter smiles.

"Draco," I hold out my hand, get a sense of déjà vu from almost twenty-five years ago.

The irony is not missed on Potter as he takes my hand and says, "You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others Malfoy. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

I shake his hand laughing and I feel for the first time in my life happy that I have probably made real friends on my own without the need of approval from the unwritten rules of pureblood society.

Harry chuckles again and asks, "So we know why you were jealous of me. Why were you jealous of Hermione?"

"She did better than me academically, she was a girl, she was a Muggleborn, and she was your friend. She just had a lot of strikes. Plus it really didn't help that I kind of had a crush on her during sixth year. And I was dating Pansy. Ugh!" I try to shake my thoughts all of things Pansy buts it's hard. Once I get myself under control I'm weirded out to see Harry and Hermione with their mouths hanging open.

"What?"

"You had a crush on Hermione?" Harry asks.

"Well yeah. She had really grown into her features and body by then. No offense."

"None taken, I can assure you," Hermione's mouth is still hanging open.

Their stares are grating on my nerves a little bit so I say 'What?' again.

"It's just unbelievable. You hated Muggleborns," Harry says.

"Well, yes and no. I still didn't like Hermione and Muggleborns to a certain extent at first but by the time the end of the year came, I just wanted everything to be over," they both nod their heads and I get the feeling that they know more about me than I thought before. "Well anyway, when I found out that I was really attracted to Hermione, I didn't know what to do. Then I got bitter that Weasley could have asked her out but he was being stupid messing with that Brown chit. And _everyone_ could see you liked each other." I shake my head at all the memories.

Harry smiles and nudges Hermione. "I think Draco's all right. Now I'm glad you got me to come today."

She smiles at us and says, "I told you he's changed. You just wouldn't believe me."

We sip on our drinks a while. Then I ask, "So you're an Auror right? I already know Hermione's a lawyer."

"Yeah. I'm head of the department."

"Got any kids?"

Harry nods. "I married Ginny and we got three. James is ten, Albus is nine, and Lily is seven. And believe me they're a handful." Harry pulls out a picture of his kids.

The oldest, James, looks like Harry and Ginny with red hair, not the bright Weasley hair, but a dark auburn. His facial features were a mix: Harry's nose and Ginny's mouth and eyes. Albus looked like a carbon copy of Harry; green eyes, messy black hair and all. Their daughter Lily looked like Ginny in miniature form.

"They're cute. But it's weird how much they look like both of you. Especially Albus and Lily. They're like little miniature carbon copies."

Hermione laughs and Harry says he gets that all the time.

"Do you have kids Hermione?" I ask. I never heard her mention a husband or anything and she still has her last name, but it's polite to ask anyway I figure.

"Yes, two. Rose and Hugo." She hands me a picture of two kids.

The girl Rose looks like Hermione except for the blue eyes: eyes I've recognized that used to glare at me in jealously all during school though Rose's were brimming with happiness. Hugo looked like Hermione would probably look like as a boy. Small, skinny, with bright brown curls, brown eyes and the boy wore glasses. They looked like Hermione's kids: smart and loving.

"They're cute too and look just like you, except for Rose's eyes. Weasley's I take it?"

She smiles sadly and nods. I don't know why she looks sad until Harry clears his throat and says, "Ron and Hermione are not together anymore."

I figure my eyebrows hit my hairline because Hermione snorts and says, "Yes it's true. We just weren't cut out for each other."

"Or he was just a cheating piece of shit. However you want to cut it Hermione," Harry looks angry and I can tell that I don't really want to cross him in this newfound friendship.

"He cheated on you?" I ask. So caught off guard, I commit this faux pas. My mother would cringe at my manners right now.

She smiles. It's tinged with a little sadistic glee. "Yes he did. And believe me he paid: child support, the house, the kids, and his dignity. Now I'm working on his pride."

I gulp and Harry laughs.

"Yeah you kind of don't want to piss Hermione off."

I decide that I don't really want to cross neither one of them in this new found friendship. If anyone said that only Hufflepuffs were loyal, they were dead wrong. Gryffindors were just as loyal, but much scarier because they actually backed up their malicious plans.

And though I'm dying to ask who Weasley actually had the nerve to cheat on Hermione with, I refrain myself because it's really not my place. It was a personal question, too personal for our at best tenuous relationship, though I felt that as easy as it was to become rivals with these two, it would be just as easy to become friends. People were weird like that. I knew that if Harry and Hermione were pureblooded and in Slytherin house, we would have been the best of friends. Sometimes these things were intuitive and I knew if I had my own sense of identity at eleven, I might have faced displeasure from my father just to be included in their group. We would have been more unbeatable than even the Golden Trio was back in the day. Hermione was obviously the brains, Harry the brawn with a hero complex, and I the cunning strategist. I chuckle at myself for making it seem like we were superheroes like the Muggle comic books Scorpius had taken to reading this past summer.

"What's so funny?" Harry asks.

I look up and shake my head. "Nothing just imagining us as superheroes. Don't even ask why, it's ridiculous really," I say after looking at their amused expressions.

"So got any kids Draco?"

I nod, pull a picture out of my wallet of Scorpius, and hand it to Harry.

"Wow, you talk about Al looking like me, this little guy is Draco in miniature," he laughs handing the photo to Hermione.

She smiles and hands the picture back to me. "He is so cute. Just too cute with that slicked back hair. What's his name?"

"Does that mean you thought Draco was cute when we were younger?"

I ignore Harry. "Scorpius."

Harry chuckles. "I'm sorry Draco but really these names are a little crazy. Lucius, Narcissa, Draco, Scorpius, Andromeda, Sirius. What's up with the naming of your kids?"

I roll my eyes. "It's unique and tradition. We all try to outdo each other with the names. But really your naming is kind of uncreative. You named your children after dead people."

Hermione burst out laughing, snorting into her cup. Harry just pouts. "Hey, I'm just honoring those who gave their lives for me. It's totally a sentimental thing."

"Really? Well let me guess. You came up with their middle names right? Nowhere in there is a Sirius?"

Harry actually blushes and Hermione's clutching her stomach so hard, tears are coming out of her eyes.

Harry glares at me and I smirk.

"Well I had to honor my godfather. He spent twelve years in Azkaban."

"What about their other names? What are they?"

Hermione looks at Harry and continues giggling.

He glares at her but turns to me to answer my question. "Severus and Luna."

I'm shocked about him naming one of his kids after Snape but decide not to let it show. It's fun teasing Harry, especially without the usual malice attached to it.

"So let me get this right? There's James Sirius?" I pause to see if I matched the right name with the right boy. Harry nods so I continue. "There's Albus Severus and then it's Lily Luna?"

Harry nods.

"Yup, just big laziness on you and your wife's part. Couldn't even think up Andrew or something."

Hermione giggles, but has herself under control now. Harry pouts and sticks his tongue out at her. She sticks her back at him and they smile at each other. I'm just shocked that they are still so childlike after everything that's happened in our lives.

"Well what's Scorpius's middle name? Draconis?"

I smile. "No, it's a Hyperion."

"You know what? I just feel bad for your kid. My kids might be named after dead and crazy people, but you can say their names."

I chuckle. "But you must admit it's not uncreative. Maybe a little pretentious but it's kind of what you get being a Malfoy."

We laugh and chat about little things for a while: family get-togethers gone wrong, crazy people at work, the fact that raising wizarding children weren't easy because they just seem to get into everything. It was just our luck that we had clever kids with cheek who always had a reason for getting into trouble thus the reason to get them out of punishment. I tell them that my mother says it's karma for being such unruly children and they wholeheartedly agree with the assessment.

"Well it looks about that time," Harry looks at his watch and stands up from the table. "Got to go pick up the kids from the Burrow since Ginny should be home soon. You coming Hermione?"

She nods and stands up too. "Yes, though would you mind picking Rose and Hugo up for me? I rather not get into another tiff with Molly."

I'm interested in why Hermione and the Weasley matriarch are at odds but again it's not my place. When we really become closer, hopefully, I will get to learn all the gossip that surrounds that family. Though I would never admit it to anyone else ever, I was always slightly jealous that the Weasleys had siblings to always be around. It was lonely growing up without any other kids except playmates and I had always wanted that sense of kinship from a brother or sister.

After we had Scorpius, I was willing to have another child, but complications from Scorpius' birth rendered us unable to have any more kids, so I just lavished all my attention on him to make up for the fact that he was alone like me. Then I enrolled him in a Muggle sport called football so he could have some mates.

It had worked like I wanted because Scorpius had way more friends than I ever had at nine and he was more sociable and amicable. Our house is constantly filled with boys' rough housing.

I stand and hold out my hand to Harry. "It was good seeing you again Harry."

He smiles and gives my hand a firm shake. "It was good getting together and seeing you as well Draco. We really have to this again soon."

I let go of Harry's hand and offer it to Hermione. Surprisingly she pulls me in for a hug. When she backs up, she's smiling. I on the other hand feel a little hot around the collar.

"It was really nice chatting with you Draco. And it would be lovely to see you again."

"Yes we should." I feel strangely tongue tied.

Harry and Hermione then loops their arms together to head out the shop until Hermione stops them then turns around to face me.

"I just had the perfect idea. Why don't you bring Scorpius around to my house so he can meet Rose and Albus? Those two are already thick as thieves but I'm sure it would be fun since they all would be going to Hogwarts together. Plus, it might be good for them to meet each other since I'm pretty sure those two aren't going to be sorted into Gryffindor but in either Ravenclaw or Slytherin."

I think that Scorpius meeting other kids his age going to Hogwarts would be good for him, especially if all three of them hit it off and become good friends. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have as smooth a transition into Hogwarts if I wasn't already friends with Vince, Greg, and Pansy.

"That sounds great. I'll have Scorpius this weekend, will Saturday be okay?"

Hermione ponders for a moment before giving an affirmative. "That's good. Will it be all right if Albus comes over Saturday?" she asks Harry.

He nods. "Yeah since James will be over Fred's. Gin has to go to a game and I promised Lily we would have a daddy-daughter day out."

Hermione clasps her hands together. "Great, it's a date. So Saturday at say…noon?"

Harry and I nod and they walk out the shop. Then I think about one tiny problem. If Harry is going to spend the day with Lily, does that mean I'm going to spend the day with Hermione while our kids hang out? And why does this thought make butterflies tumble in my stomach?


End file.
